Poached Eggs on Nduja Toasts
Move over avocado toasts, there is a new girl in town! I don’t know about you, but I jumped on the avocado toast bandwagon, and I, for one, certainly enjoyed my share of them. I toasted crusty pieces of Italian bread and then slathered the slices in ripe avocado and finally topped the toasts with a soft poached egg. Recently I came across a photo of nduja toast, and now I am hooked.
If you are not familiar with it, nduja is a Calabrian specialty. It is a spicy, spreadable pork product traditionally made with parts of the pig, such as the shoulder and belly, as well as tripe, roasted peppers, and a mixture of spices. Although spicy, it is more full-flavored than taking your breath away hot.
I can no longer eat very spicy food, but I love nduja and enjoy it often. It used to be very difficult to find nduja outside of Italy, but now a couple of different US companies make a quality product. We buy ours from TempestaSalumi.com but it can also be bought through Amazon.com. (See link below recipe)
The trick to this recipe is using the right ingredients. I use a crusty bread made here in Michigan at Zingerman’s bakery called True North. It is made from milled Michigan hard wheat and is delicious with a very chewy crust. Any crusty artisan bread would work just fine.
After toasting my bread slices, I brush them liberally with our own extra virgin olive oil. I then slather on some nduja, covering the bread completely, and then top with some sautéed spinach. Any of your favorite sautéed greens from coma di rape (rapini), Swiss chard, or even kale would work.
To finish the dish, all you need is a perfectly poached egg. After lots of trial and error, I have learned that putting a little white vinegar in the poaching water, and by placing the cracked egg in a fine strainer ensures that the egg holds its shape.
You want a soft poached egg so that when you cut into it, the yolk pours over the toast, almost like a sauce. I enjoy these toasts for lunch, although you could also serve it as a first course for dinner.
Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele
Poached Eggs on Nduja Toasts
Spicy nduja, tender sauteed greens, and a perfectly poached egg are served on toasted slices of rusty bread.
Ingredients
- 6 Slices Crusty Bread (See Notes Above)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 Ounces Nduja at Room Temperature
- 2 Cups Sautéed Greens (See Notes Above)
- 6 Large Eggs
- Salt & Cracked Black Pepper To Taste
Instructions
- Toast the bread slices until golden brown on both sides, then brush liberally with extra virgin olive oil.
- Spread the nduja over the top of each toasted slice, then divide the spinach on top of each.
- Bring a large frying pan of lightly salted water with a tablespoon of white vinegar to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer, then crack the eggs into the pan.
- Cook until the whites are completely cooked but the yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the egg from the water, then place one egg on top of each slice of bread.
- Drizzle a little more oil over each toast, then season well with salt and cracked pepper.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 196Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 186mgSodium: 330mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 11g
